Blackbird
by camaros-and-dopplegangers
Summary: A Damon/Elena one-shot. Damon takes Elena on a road trip to get her mind off of things. Inspired by "You Gonna Fly" by Keith Urban. Takes place after the start of S3


**A/N: I know I promised an update of all my other stories, but this is literally a one-shot. I heard this song and thought it was **_**perfect **_**for Damon and Elena. I have had this idea stuck in my head for days on end, and this little plot bunny won't leave me alone. Ignore anything after the beginning of Season Three. This one-shot is based off of "You Gonna Fly" by Keith Urban. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything publically recognizable**

**Blackbird**

_You could be a black bird on a country street Hiding from the world with a broken wing But you better believe you gonna fly with me And you could be a songbird from New Orleans Scared of the rain just a scared to sing But you better believe you gonna fly with me Well here we are baby in the back of my bed Sun's going down sky's turning red Stars coming out baby look at you now God knows how long but it's been awhile Since I heard you laugh and I seen that smile Felt that kiss and I could get used to this Baby I could get used to this (You Gonna Fly – Keith Urban)_

Damon knocked on Elena's bedroom door, smirking at his brilliant plan. He was going to do a Georgia road trip part two (well, minus the killing of witches and him being kidnapped). Damon felt that Elena was getting stuck in a rut. She was slowly but surely getting over Stefan and coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't coming back. Still, Damon feared that if he didn't get Elena out of Mystic Falls, at least for a little while, that she would never really learn how to live again, and he knew just the thing to get her to loosen up and have some fun.

"Elena, rise and shine. We have places to go, people to see," Damon said a smile in his voice as he sat on the edge of Elena's bed and watched her slowly wake up.

"Damon," Elena grumbled, opening one eye to look at her clock, "Why are you here so early? It's only 5:30 in the morning. Come back in five hours." She sighed, rolling back over and trying to go to sleep again.

Unfortunately for Elena, Damon wouldn't allow that, and ripped her covers off the bed, "Sorry Elena, we're taking a road trip. You need to get out of your funk and live a little. I miss fun Elena. Now, go get dressed, I'll wait downstairs." Damon got off of the bed and started walking out of the room, pausing as he got to the doorway, "Elena, really. I promise to take care of you. This won't be like Georgia. I just want you to be happy again," he said gently before walking into the hall and closing her door.

**&&&###&&&###&&&###**

Half an hour later, Damon and Elena were on the road, putting Mystic Falls and depressing thoughts behind them. Damon had even rented a car for the occasion**,**that Elena had often complained that the Camaro was uncomfortable to ride in had nothing to do with it **–**or at least that's what Damon kept telling himself **– **and had the windows rolled down. He looked over at Elena and smiled as he saw the tension leaving Elena's shoulders more and more the further away from Mystic Falls they got.

"I _love _this song," Elena said, turning up the radio and humming to herself quietly with _You Gonna Fly _by Keith Urban.

Damon laughed quietly to himself, noticing how truly perfect the words were. He had always thought that Elena had been hiding from everyone and everything since Stefan left with Klaus. He never brought it up because he didn't want to hurt her feelings, or have her shut him out along with everyone else in her life. "Hey Elena," Damon started, watching Elena turn to him and brush her hair back at the same time, getting hypnotized by her gaze and how carefree she looked right now; one arm out the window, feet on the dash, big grin on her face, "Do you have anywhere in mind that you'd like to go? This whole trip is for you."

Elena smiled at Damon. He had been such a good friend to her the last few months; she was trying to think of a place that he would enjoy as well, "Nashville. Let's go to Nashville," Elena laughed and turned the radio up louder.

**&&&###&&&###&&&###**

A few hours later, Elena had fallen asleep and Damon smiled as he put one arm around her, pulling her closer to him. He was afraid he had woke her up when he heard her start to mumble and he started to silently curse himself until she sighed in contentment and snuggled into his side. Kissing the top of Elena's head, Damon whispered in her ear, "Elena, you need to be happy. I'm going to make sure you fly. You deserve it."

"Thanks Damon, you're the best," Elena murmured in her sleep before sighing again.

Damon chuckled to himself and continued to drive, thinking about what had made him decide to take Elena on this little road trip…

_Damon had been sitting with Alaric and Jeremy, discussing what their next move should be in regards to Stefan, and locating him, "I think we need to prepare her for the worst. She needs to understand there's a good chance that Stefan is not coming back, and even if he does, he won't be her Stefan anymore," Alaric said, always putting Elena's safety before anything else._

"_No," Jeremy said, "If I know my sister, preparing her for Stefan not coming back will just make her want to get him back that much more. Then, when it doesn't happen, she'll be crushed. We need something to take her mind off all the bad, so if he doesn't come back, she can still go on and keep living."_

_Alaric and Jeremy both looked at Damon at the same time, knowing looks on their faces, "What? Why are you both looking at me?" Damon asked, even thought he knew why they were looking at him. He was the only one that could convince Elena to just let loose and have fun. Georgia had proved that. _

"_Damon, as much as I don't want to say this, because I'm supposed to be acting as Elena's parental figure, I really think it would be beneficial for her if you would take her on a trip somewhere. Just, don't let her know. Make is spontaneous. She needs to be young and have fun again," Alaric said._

_Damon nodded, "Fine Ric, I'll take little Elena on a road trip. Who knows, maybe we'll have so much fun together she'll forget all about Stefan." Damon winked, laughing at the horrified look on Jeremy and Alaric's faces. _

Damon didn't realize how long he had been lost in his thoughts, because the next time he looked at his gas gauge, it was almost on empty. Thankfully, there was a gas station right ahead that he could stop at. "Hey, 'Lena, time to wake up. We need to get gas," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

Elena stirred slightly, rubbing her eyes and stretching. Damon couldn't take his eyes off her, thinking she looked more beautiful like this than she did with make up on and a pretty formal dress. "Where are we? How long have we been driving?" She asked, yawning.

Damon chuckled at her, "Right now, we are at a gas station somewhere right on the state border. I'd say we've been driving for three or four hours. How was your nap?"

Elena beamed up at Damon, still nestled into his side, "It was good. Sorry for falling asleep on you. I was woken up four hours after I went to bed last night."

Damon looked down at her, and feigned annoyance, "Well _Elena, _if you would get to bed at a normal time, and not spend all your time with alcoholic vampires, maybe you wouldn't fall asleep on road trips that people invite you on."

Elena laughed loudly, throwing her head back in mirth, "Well maybe alcoholic vampires shouldn't keep me out all night. Hmmm, ever thought of that Mr. Salvatore?" She questioned, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Okay, okay. You win. Now come on, get out of the car and get yourself some food. I'll put gas in the car."

Elena reluctantly moved away from Damon and reached into the back to get her purse, but couldn't find it anywhere, "Damon, where's my purse?"

"You won't need it. The trip is on me Elena. My treat. All of it," Damon chuckled at Elena's bewildered expression, "Don't tell me Saint Stefan made you foot your own bill? That cheapskate." He shook his head in mock disbelief.

"Damon, I can't let you do that. This trip is going to be expensive. I have my own money," Elena began, but quickly stopped when she saw the look on Damon's face that let her know she would not be winning this argument, "Fine," she grumbled after a few minutes, "give me the damn money."

After he handed Elena a couple twenty dollar bills, Damon shooed her into the convenience store to get whatever it was that she wanted. Damon watched as she walked into the store and noticed that just about every other guy at the gas station was looking at Elena in fascination. He growled lowly to himself, and glared at one young man in particular who seemed like he was going to be brave enough to follow Elena into the store and talk to her. Didn't people _see _her getting out of his car? Shouldn't that be a good enough way to say "Hands off, she's mine,"? Damon sighed and found himself thinking back on last night and laughing at how much fun he actually ended up having with Elena and little Gilbert…

_Elena knocked on Damon's door with Jeremy in tow and before Damon could say anything; Elena had invited herself and her brother into his house and flopped down onto his couch. "Ugh, I need a break from Ric. He is driving me _crazy_ with this entire 'self defense from vampires talk'; doesn't he understand that I get it? I understand that I need to be able to protect myself from Stefan and Klaus. I just want one night of acting my age Damon," she looked over at him with her big, pretty brown eyes and they looked so sad. _

_Damon just nodded at Elena sympathetically and then looked at Jeremy, "What about you Little Gilbert, why are you here? Don't tell me you need to protect yourself from crazy vampire ex-boyfriends too."_

"_No Damon, I'm actually being a good brother and supporting my sister, that's what siblings are supposed to do." Jeremy plopped down on the couch next to Elena and sighed, leaning his head back._

"_Come on Damon; entertain us for a few hours, please? I promise to go back to Ric and follow all of his rules if you just take my mind off of everything for a little while…"_

They had all spent the night eating junk food and watching B-movies. If Damon was being honest with himself, it was probably one of the most fun nights he'd had in a long time. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice when Elena came back to the car.

"Hello, Damon…earth to Damon," Elena said as she waved her hand in front of his face, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Elena. I'm fine." Damon smiled at her before sliding in the car and reaching across the seat to open the door for Elena. "Hop back in. We've still got some miles left before we get to Nashville."

**&&&###&&&###&&&###**

An hour outside of Nashville, Damon heard Elena gasp, and looked over at her quickly, expecting something to be wrong, "Elena, you okay?"

"Yeah Damon, I'm fine. Everything is fine. I just _really _want to go to that restaurant. They have the world's best pie! Who doesn't like pie? Can we go, please?" Elena begged, adding a pout for effect.

Damon laughed loudly at her, "Yes, we can go get you pie. Stop pouting. You'll get wrinkles," Damon pulled off the highway and found the little diner that Elena wanted to go to. He couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed she was now. She was acting like the old Elena. She was acting like the Elena he knew before her world was turned upside down by Klaus, hybrids, tomb vampires, doppelgangers and her boyfriend wanting to rip her throat out. She was acting like the Elena that took a trip to Georgia and actually let loose and acted like a seventeen year old. Damon cut the engine and hopped out of the car, rushing around and opening Elena's door for her.

"I wonder if they'll have Pecan Pie. That's my favorite. Oooh, I like Apple Pie too…" Elena started rambling to herself about what pie she wanted, and Damon just walked behind her, watching as her chocolate hair shone in the light, and her hips swayed with every step she took.

"…Damon, are you listening to me?" Damon came back to reality as he heard Elena say his name and poke him in the arm.

"I'm sorry Elena, what was that? I was thinking about dinner. I haven't had Nashville takeout in _years_." He smirked as Elena rolled her eyes.

"Sure Damon, whatever you say. Just please, don't bring dinner home with you. I do _not_ want to see you chewing on an innocent person. I was just asking if you cared where we sat." As Elena saw Damon shake his head no, she shrugged and sat at the counter. Damon laughed at her when she asked for a piece of Pecan _and _Apple Pie.

**A/N: Well, this is it for this. This was just a little one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm currently writing the next chapter of "I Remember You" and then I'll be working on "Love On A Dirt Road". Let me know what you thought of this. Also, come find me on my new blog: camaros-and-dopplegangers-dot-weebly-dot-com**


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